Legend of Zelda: Sleeping Race
by Elisafairy
Summary: Sequel to Return to Twili, but you do not have to have read the original to understand the sequel. Link and Midna are both wolves now, and Link sets out to start a pack in Hyrule, but there are many parts of Hyrule's history left to be discovered.


_**A/N: Here it is, the long-awaited sequel to Return to Twili! (You do not have to have read the original to read this sequel. All you need to know is that Midna is back, and she and Link are both now permanently transformed into wolves! Yay!) I would like to thank everyone who read **_**Return to Twili**_**, especially those that reviewed or favorited it. I know my plot was a bit random and jumped back and forth a bit, but I hope you'll stick with me for this sequel and enjoy! ^_^**_

:::

All rose in the throne room as the massive doors were swung open and two magnificent wolves marched down the aisle, a row of saluting soldiers on either side. The lithe, black and white female with an orange mane rested her head on the big gray wolf's shoulder. He licked her ear in return.

Princess Zelda gracefully stood from her throne and smiled gently down at the two wolves, then looked up to address the many people of Hyrule that had gathered for the event. "People of Hyrule," she began, "Some have gathered here today because they are a friend of Link or Midna. Others have come simply to gawk and scoff at the idea of wedding two wolves in Hyrule Castle. It may seem like a preposterous action, but these are no ordinary wolves. For those of you who don't know, these two wolves are your heroes, the saviors of the kingdom. Link was once a Hylian, just like many of you. Midna was the princess of the race of people known as the Twili."

An uproar arose in the throne room, so that Zelda had to stop her speech for a moment. "This is ridiculous!" "Our princess must be mad!" "I'm getting out of here before those beasts turn on us!"

Zelda was growing more and more concerned about the situation. _I only wanted to honor my friends in the proper way, but maybe it was not the best idea. What if I lose my people's respect because of this?_ Also, there was such a riot now, that Zelda worried what Link's reaction might be. He seemed to grow more and more wolf-like, and he might even go so far as to bite someone in his nervousness at all the noise.

Losing patience with the people, she gathered her courage and crashed her sword against the arm of the throne, calling for silence. "You may leave if you would like, but do not interrupt the service any longer!"

A few people scurried out the door, mumbling to each other, but the majority remained, curious to see what would happen next.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Zelda said with a sigh. "Many of you believe in magic and the supernatural, as our ancestors did. You visit the springs of the Light Spirits for healing and have seen fairies with your own eyes. So why is it so hard to believe that these two were once people like you and me? We will now continue with the wedding."

People whispered amongst themselves as the priest made his way to the platform where the throne and Zelda stood. Zelda noticed with relief that a few of them looked a little more believing.

The old robed priest stood before them with a book and spoke the ceremonial words. When they were over, Link put his mouth around Midna's muzzle and she licked his ear in return. The ceremony was over.

The crowd was mostly silent as the wolf and his bride exited the throne room, but a small group in the back cheered and threw rice in honor of the new couple. All were friends of Link and Midna's, many of whom's lives had been touched in some way by them. Hena gave Link a thumbs-up and Rusl winked at him. Link grinned when he spotted Ilia and her new husband smiling and waving at them, and he even caught a glimpse of gold for a moment as the Golden Wolf appeared and vanished just as quickly.

Midna's side of the family was smaller and quieter, sitting in a dark corner of the chamber and quietly applauding, smiling gently.

Together they left on a carpet of pale cherry blossoms, saddened at leaving the life they'd known, but excited to begin their new one.

:::

Two wolves ran side by side across the dry yellow plains until they came to a ledge high up on a cliff wall. There, they stopped and sat down, the female resting her head on the male's shoulder. The ledge overlooked a beautiful scene as the sun set red on the Gerudo Desert. This was their special place, their secret field just west of the desert, where no humans or Hylians lived, and the entire desert was their territory as well.

With no other wolves to fight with over land and prey, they could have anything they wished for in the area. They were the king and queen here.

The king and queen's romantic moment was soon interrupted by Link suddenly being tackled by what looked very much like a miniature, big-eyed version of himself.

"Hey Dad! I'm getting good at stalking, aren't I?" Troy, Link and Midna's only pup, wagged his tail enthusiastically, panting. He looked very much like his father, but shared his mother's blue and orange Twili-style markings.

"Yes," Link agreed. "In fact, you're getting so good at it, I don't think you even need to practice any more for a while!"

"Link!" Midna laughed. "Don't discourage him." She turned to Troy and nipped at his ear playfully. "You're doing great," she told him, "but keep practicing. Don't listen to your father; he's just a grouch!"

"Your mother's right," Link sighed. "She always is. Why don't you go practice stalking on that insect over there?"

"Alright! That's easy!" Troy bounded off into the grass, a gold bug flitting away from him.

Link and Midna watched their son proudly as the sun set, and Link turned to Midna after a moment. "Have you ever…" he hesitated. "…wanted to have a pack of your own?"

"We _are_ a pack," she replied. "Me, you and Troy."

"Yes, but… I don't know." He lowered his voice so his son wouldn't hear. "I guess you haven't been wolf as long as I have. The instinct to run with others of your kind hasn't taken hold of you yet." They had not yet told Troy about their past as Twili & Hylian.

Midna looked at her mate with confusion and hurt. _Am I not a real wolf yet?_ She wanted so much to understand him, but the transformation seemed to have such a stronger hold on him. Midna felt more like a Twili in a wolf's body, while Link seemed to feel it down in his bones from the very beginning.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Blue-Eyed Beast, I wish I could understand. But you know there are no other wolves like us here."

"Maybe not exactly like us, but there are wolves of a kind, the ones that live at Snowpeak."

"You have fought them before! You know they do not listen to reason. I doubt their brains are even half the size of ours!"

"I believe they are more intelligent than they let on. They are just stubborn, and work as one body. But I want to talk to them."

Midna licked his muzzle. "I will go with you and stand by your side, though I do not understand."

"Thank you."


End file.
